Possibly seeing the writing on the wall about this fall’s elections, Democrats are starting to eat their own.
Discontent over President Joe Biden’s capitulation to the far left, which has been an unmitigated disaster, is spilling over into the bluest states, and New York is no exception.
A Sienna College poll in February revealed that the top concerns of New Yorkers included the soaring cost of living, the illegal immigration crisis, crime and the lack of affordable housing.
Not surprisingly, far-left rallying cries such as DEI and climate change didn’t make the cut.
One sign that some Democrats are realizing the politics of fear and division may have run its course, at least on some issues, is the fact that failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton snubbed far-left “squad” member New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman by endorsing his rival in the Democratic primary.
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In her endorsement of Bowman’s opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Clinton referenced former President Donald Trump, who defeated her in the 2016 race.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” she said in a Wednesday post on X.
“In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda — just like he’s always done,” Clinton said.
With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever.
In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda—just like he’s always done.
Make a plan to vote by June 25th!
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 12, 2024
While Bowman has been backed by prominent leftists such as Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Latimer has gained momentum with support from influential groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee because of the congressman’s vocal criticism of Israel’s war on the Islamic terrorist group Hamas.
During an event in Mount Vernon, Bowman attacked his opponent, saying, “He’s in the pocket of Republican billionaires … who are racist,” according to Politico.
“He is also not just anti-black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist,” he added.
Latimer, in turn, attacked Bowman during a debate hosted by Spectrum News on Tuesday in which he accused the congressman of not caring for white or Asian people.
“You don’t mention people who are not black or brown. There’s a whole district, Jamaal, that you’ve ignored, and the district knows you’ve ignored it,” he said, according to Fox News.
Responding to Clinton’s endorsement in a statement, Latimer said, “Her voice gives even more momentum to our grassroots campaign, which keeps gaining strength because we stand strongly and honestly for our values and for our belief in delivering meaningful results for the communities we serve,” Politico reported.
The former secretary of state’s high-profile endorsement injects her immense influence into the heated race mere weeks before Election Day and shows the growing rift between the far-left “anti-establishment” brand of left-wing politics and the Democratic old guard.
Clinton’s instincts might prove right.
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll released Tuesday found Latimer garnering 48 percent support among likely Democratic primary voters compared with just 31 percent for Bowman. Twenty-one percent undecided.
NEW YORK 16TH DISTRICT POLL with @thehill & @PIX11News#NY16 Democratic Congressional Primary
George Latimer 48%
Jamaal Bowman 31%
21% undecidedhttps://t.co/XUcRzbqYOB pic.twitter.com/KzeRkPPX3o— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) June 11, 2024
Perhaps the most notable finding of this poll was that 45 percent of Democratic voters aligned more closely with Latimer’s pro-Israel stance in the nation’s war with Hamas, compared with only 29 percent siding with Bowman’s anti-Israel rhetoric.
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That included calling the Jewish state an “apartheid” regime and claiming that the rapes and child murders of Israelis on Oct. 7 were a “lie” — a statement he later retracted, according to the New York Post.
The outlet said Latimer led among white voters “by a yawning 42 percentage points.”
Bowman was ahead among black voters by a much-narrower margin of 14 points.
Unsurprisingly, far-left Democrats were not happy with Clinton’s choice — further evidence of the chasm that has her looking like a moderate compared with many in her party.
Several Bowman supporters attacked Clinton on social media for her less-radical choice.
A perfect example of how establishment liberal politicians have hollowed out their working class base and handed power to the Right wing.
Clinton hates Bowman because he’s a progressive who opposes war. His opponent is funded by Republican Trump allies. She’s a garbage person. https://t.co/Ukr2p2iIHf
— SemanticLemur (@semanticlemur) June 13, 2024
Telling voters your Clinton endorsed in 2024 draws more negativity then positivity,
I’m a little more confident in Bowman than I was before now, especially after the borderline MAGA comments made by @LatimerforNY https://t.co/mZuovFeetx
— VinnyTheBozo (@BozoVinny) June 13, 2024
Edward Brooke in 1969. Barack Obama in 2008. Jamaal Bowman in 2024. Hillary Clinton keeps showing y’all who she is and I for one choose to believe her. Hillary’s endorsement should be treated the same way progressives treat endorsements from the cops and NRA. https://t.co/w5ejIiFNYC
— Robert (@RLM_3) June 12, 2024
In many ways, this New York House primary is emblematic of the civil war raging within the Democratic Party over its vision, values and future.
Clinton’s endorsement signals the establishment’s waning patience with the far-left progressive agenda leading the party off a cliff.
Whether the party itself is ready is another question.
